Box.



C. A.' WOOLSEY.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17, 1913. RENEWED NOV. 15.1915.

Pat'entedJune 11, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1&691241 reinforced, coverlng,

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BOX.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

. Beit known that I, CHARLES A. WOOLSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at inneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, Northern Express Company, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Boxes, a specification.

y invention relates to shipping boxes and particularly to that class which are returned to the shipper when empty. rllhis type of box must necessarily be made strong; and durable and the object of my invention is to provide a reinforcing means for the corners of the box which will support and strengthen the walls thereof against pressure from within or without.

A further obj ect is to provide a box which may be made of any suitable size and with wide or narrow strips in its walls, as preferred. Other objects ot theinvention will appear from the following detailed description. t

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a perspective view, looking toward the outside of one corner of the box,

Fig. 2 is a similar view, looking toward the corner of the box on the inside, j

Fig 3 is a vertical sectional viewthrough a corner of the box,

Fig. .4: is a perspective View, looking toward the corner of the box on the outside, with .one of the reinforcingplates removed, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner and outer reinforcing platesL a portion rof the inner plate being broken away, j

1Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the inner p ate, Y

Fig. 7 'is a perspective view, showing a portion of the reinforcing `or means at the bottom of the box,

Fig. 8 -is a perspective view, showing the which is substantially the. same in construction'asthe angle plates in Fig. 5, divided longitudinally through the angle therein.

in the drawing, 2, 3 and 4 represent ythe slats composing the side and vend walls and bottom of the box. These Walls are shown as composed of narrow slats, or wider strips er boards may be used, if preferred. I have of which the following is struction .is provided protective only shown one corner of the box, but it will be understood that the other corners are constructed in substantially the same way. 5 represents an angle plate of sheet metal, preferably galvanized, adapted to of suiiicient length to extend from the outer to the inner surface of each slat.

Iprefer to arrange the slats as indicated I in Fig. 4, inkwhich one slat in a wall extends into the angle plate and contacts therewith, while the adjoining Slat next beneath in the same wall abuts against the adjacent Slat of the other Wall, so that an alternate conwhich serves to increase the strength of the corner. At the top and bottom the plate 5 is provided with inwardly turned ears 7 and holes 8 and 9 are provided in these ears, the holes 8 being -in line with similar holes provided in the ears 6. `0n the inner side of the angle formed at the corner of the box is a second angle plate 10 having outwardly turned ears 11 and l2 formed thereon and provided with holes '13 and 14 corresponding to those described. When' these plates are assembled, one on the inside and the other on the outside of the box, the ears formed thereon lap by one another, as indicated' in Fig. 5, and the holes in the ears otone plate will register with the corresponding holes in the ears of the other plate. Through these holes and transversely through holes in the slats, lacing wires l5 are inserted, having their ends bentinwardly and inserted into the holes 9 and M at the *ends of the reinforcing plates, as indicated in Fig. 3. These lacing wires, passing through the holes in the ears and through the slats, will secure them firmly together and the end of each slat will be inclosed with a metal covering or jacket with a double thickness at the edges of each Slat, and the corner will be securely braced and strengthened against pressure `from the outside or inside of the box. Generally, boxes having only an outer guard or protection at the corner will split or break when subjected to extreme outside pressure, as 'there is nothing tobrace the inner surface of the wall, but'withv the conof the ends of the bottom slats and an upstruction herein shown and described, each slat is completely inclosed at the end, and not only inclosed, but is laced and locked to the adjacent slat, and consequently pressure on one slat will be to a considerable degree resisted and braced by the other slats of the same wall.

Between each slat is a double thickness formed byl the overlapping ears, and the lacing wires have comparatiyely long bearing in these ears and are so securely braced by them that splitting of a Slat is practically impossible.

At the corner formed by the intersection right wall, I prefer to provide a reinforcing means which may be formed independently of the corner plates or be a .continuation thereof, as preferred, In this case I have illustrated the parts formed separately.

The'plate 16 is folded to completely inclose the lower slat 3 of the side wall and has a flange 17 which extends under the end of the bottom slats 4 covering the joint between them and the slatv 3. A flange 18 is provided on the opposite corresponding edge of the plate 16 and is spaced from the flange 17 and parallel substantially therewith and overlaps the ends of the slats 4 on the inside of the box. From theA longitudinal edges of these parallel flanges 17 and 18 ears 19 and 20 are punched, and arranged to lap by one .another and are provided with holes 21 therein which register when the ears are bent into their proper relation with one another.

The plate 16 is preferably provided at the ends thereof with an inwardly turned flange 22 having an ear 23 and a corresponding ear 24 is formed on said plate on the opposite side of the angle. The flange 22 has a hole 25 therein., into which the end of the lacing wire 26 is inserted, and the flange 17y has an upwardly turned lip 27 which overlaps the flange 22 and is provided with holes to register with the holes 21 and 25 therein. This lip 27 serves to reinforce the corner of the box at the bottom and coperates with the flange 22 and the corner plate to further strengthen the boxj/ at the meeting point of the slats. I have shown this horizontalcorner plate, formed independently of the upright corner plate, but I may prefer to make them Vof one piece of metal. 'Ihis construction, however would be obvious and illustration herein does not seem to be necessary. the event of making the reinforcin .plates of one piece of metal, there would Iie only one thickness of metal instead of several, as

vals

flanges having inwardly projecting ears 30- pressed o r punched therefrom and extending between thclongitudinal edges of the slats, and ears 81 formed at the ends of the flanges with lacingy wires 32 inserted through holes in said ears and transversely through the slats, thereby locking them securely together. In this construction the ends of the slats will be entirely inclosed and protected and separation of the slats will be prevented, even though the'box may be subjected to a suilicient strain or blow to split the slats. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the lacing wires extend through the upright and horizontal corners of the box from top to bottom and end to end thereof and form practically a continuous means for holding the slats or boards comprising the walls 1 protecting plates or the means for locking` them and the slats together. j.

These reinforcing plates may be applied to other articles, as well as for reinforcing cornersV of boxes, and hence I do not conne myself to the uses of the invention herein shown and described.

I claim as my invention 1. A box having walls composed of slats arranged one above another, angle plates fitting the corner of the box on the inside and outside thereof and having ears punched from their longitudinal edges, the ears of the inner plate lapping and co-inciding substantially with Ithe ears of the outer plate, the ears of bothfplates being seated on the longitudinal edges of the slats, the ends of said slats being inclosed and concealed by said plates and fears, and lacing wires passing through said slats transversely and through the ears of said inner and outer plates and securing said ears and said slats together.

2. A box comprising a bottom and a wall having a slat adjacent to said bottom, a metallic plate folded to inclose said Slat and having inwardly projecting, substantially parallel flanges lapping over and concealing the joint between said slat and the bottom of the box, said flanges having ears pressed therefrom to enter the bottom ofl the box, and a lacing wire passing through the box bottom and through the ears therein.

3. A box comprising a bottom and walls, each consisting of a series of Slats.placed edge to edge, an angle plate fitting the corner of the box on the outside thereof and having ears punched from its vertical, longitudinal edges, said ears projecting inwardly between the slats of said walls and seated on the longitudinal edges of said slats, a horizontal plate folded to inclose the lower slat of one of said walls and having sockets for the ends of the bottom slats, said horizontal plate having an end portion adapted to receive the lower end of said angle plate and provided with ears to register with the ears of said angle plate, and lacing wires passing vertically through said slats and ears and horizontally through said bottom slats and the sockets thereof.

4. A box comprising a bottom, and a wall having a slat adjacent to said bottom, a metallic plate folded to inclose said slat and having inwardly-projecting, substantially parallel flanges lapping over and concealingy the joint between said Slat and the bottom of the box, the slats composing the box bottom being inserted between said A parallel flanges, said flanges having ears pressed therefrom to pass between said slats, said plate having a part to embrace the corner of the box, and lacing wires passing through said ears and slats and through sald corner embracing part.

5. A box corner reinforcement comprising a metallic angle plate fitting the corner 4 of the box on the outside and provided with ears pressed at intervals from its longitudinal edges and projecting inwardly into the space between the anges of said plate, said ears being arranged in pairs, slats arranged' one above another, forming the walls of the box and having their ends inserted between the ears of a pair and between the adjacent pairs of ears, the longitudinal edges ofsaid slats forming seats for the ears, and flexible lacing means passing downwardly through said slats and ears and binding them together.

6. A box corner reinforcement comprising a metallic angle plate fitting the corner of the box on the outside and provided with.

ears pressed at intervals from its longitudinal edges and projecting inwardly into the space between the flanges of said plate, said ears being arranged in pairs, slats arranged one above another and forming the walls of the boxand having their ends inserted between the ears of a pair and between the adjacent pairs of ears, the longitudinal edges of said slats forming seats for said ears and corresponding substantially in-width to the length of said ears, and lacing wires passing downwardly through said slatsand ears and binding them together.

7. A box having walls composed of slats arranged one above another, angle plates fitting the corner of the box on the inside and outside thereof and having ears punched from their longitudinal edges and projectl ing into the joints between abutting slats, said ears being arranged in pairs and said slats having their ends inserted between the ears of a pair and between the adjacent pairs of ears, the ears of the inner plate registering with the corresponding ears of the outer plate, and lacing wires passing transversely through said slats and through said ears between the abutting edges of said slats and binding them together.

8. A box having walls composed of slats arranged one above another, angle plates fitting the corner of the box on the inside and outside thereof and having ears punched therefrom and projecting into the joints between abutting slats, the ears of the inner plate registering with the corresponding ears of the outer plate, and lacing wires passing transversely through said slats and through said ears between the abutting edges of said slats and binding them together.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of February, 1913.

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY.

Witnesses:

EDWARD A. PAUL, GENEVIEVE E SoRENsEN. 

